And behold, a lawyer stood up to put him to the test, saying, “Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?” 26 He said to him, “What is written in the Law? How do you read it?” 27 And he answered, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind, and your neighbor as yourself.” 28 And he said to him, “You have answered correctly; do this, and you will live.”

29 But he, desiring to justify himself, said to Jesus, “And who is my neighbor?” 30 Jesus replied, “A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and he fell among robbers, who stripped him and beat him and departed, leaving him half dead. 31 Now by chance a priest was going down that road, and when he saw him he passed by on the other side. 32 So likewise a Levite, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side. 33 But a Samaritan, as he journeyed, came to where he was, and when he saw him, he had compassion. 34 He went to him and bound up his wounds, pouring on oil and wine. Then he set him on his own animal and brought him to an inn and took care of him. 35 And the next day he took out two denarii and gave them to the innkeeper, saying, ‘Take care of him, and whatever more you spend, I will repay you when I come back.’ 36 Which of these three, do you think, proved to be a neighbor to the man who fell among the robbers?” 37 He said, “The one who showed him mercy.” And Jesus said to him, “You go, and do likewise.”

(Luke 10:25-37)

Introduction

There are many institutions named with the name Good Samaritan in it. There are hospitals, veterinary hospitals, nursing home facilities, non-profit organizations, churches, hospices, social service agencies, health centers, colleges, foundations, pet adoption centers, boys and girls clubs, and even wellness and fitness gyms all with the name ‘Good Samaritan’ in them. The idea of the Good Samaritan has become a ubiquitous, cultural symbol of neighborly kindness and has often been associated with health care.

But what is missing from these depictions of the Good Samaritan is the context of the story that Jesus told to the crowd on that day. In Luke 10:21-22, Jesus tells the people listening to him that some would understand all that He says about the Gospel, but some would clearly misunderstand Him. In other words, this is a story about salvation as highlighted by a lawyer, that is an expert in the law of God who stood up to ‘test’ Jesus with the question, “What shall I do to inherit eternal life?” The Good Samaritan parable, therefore, is an illustration to answer this most important question. In fact, let me contend that if you do not have the context of the Good Samaritan story, that it is a story about eternal life, all you would get from the story then would be how the world currently views this parable, a good deed towards those who are marginalized. But the context gives us a much more powerful motivation to care for the downtrodden, the poor, the unwanted, and the lost. It tells us that Christians who truly know how great God’s love towards us is, out of such love, we will go and do likewise.

There are two components to the story: 1) The problem of the testy lawyer and his misguided question in verses 25-29, and 2) The solution of God’s law and our response as illustrated by the parable of the Good Samaritan in verses 26-36. To understand both allows us to know what Jesus means when he says in verse 37: “You go, and do likewise.”

The Problem of the Testy Lawyer and His Misguided Question (v. 25-29)

So let’s look first at the problem of the testy lawyer and his misguided question in verse 25: “And behold, a lawyer stood up to put him to the test, saying, “Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?” It’s pretty obvious that the lawyer’s motivation was not a good one, since he was out ‘to put him to the test.’ The lawyer’s first problem was that unbelief marked his response. He simply didn’t believe Jesus was who He said He was and he wanted to do anything he could to trip Him up.

Also, we get a further picture of the lawyer in verses 26-27: “He said to him, “What is written in the Law? How do you read it?” 27 And he answered, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind, and your neighbor as yourself.” The second problem was a problem of application, that even though the lawyer knew the law well, he did not apply it to his own life. He obviously knew the law well enough to quote the Shema (Deut 6:4-5) and God’s law of love towards others in Leviticus 19:18. Being an expert in the law, this lawyer intellectually knew Scripture very well. He probably had memorized large portions and had studied the law of God diligently. And so, it is no surprise that he would be able to give the right answer. But therein lies the problem, Jesus is not merely looking for the right answer. He’s looking for the heart that actually lives out the truths of the right answer. In Puritan pastor Richard Baxter’s treatise, The Reformed Pastor, the first page is a warning for all ‘Reverend Brethren’ (fellow pastors and elders). In his treatise, Richard Baxter cautions pastors that they could be ministering in such pride and negligence of the condition of one’s own soul, that though he would preach to others about salvation, he himself might not even be saved. This is the terrible danger that all who lead God’s people face, pastors and elders, that unless they are continually suspicious of their own souls, they could as Paul warns after preaching the Gospel, be disqualified from the prize (1 Cor 9:26-27). Thus, simply knowing God’s Word, as important as that is, without applying the Word to one’s own soul is terribly dangerous.

Also, notice the problem of the question itself, “What shall I DO to inherit eternal life?” For this lawyer, eternity with God was obtainable by DOING something. He believed that his good works, perhaps his knowledge of the law, his role in the local synagogue, his tithing, his concern for the poor, something that he did made him eligible for God’s favor in salvation. Also, it’s quite possible that he believed merely one deed, or maybe a few deeds, gave him an admission ticket to heaven. But for every deed this man would do to inherit eternal life, there would be many more deeds that disqualify him from eternal life, which is the fundamental problem with his question. Romans 3:20 reminds us: “For by works of the law no human being will be justified in his sight, since through the law comes knowledge of sin.” It simply is impossible to inherit eternal life by any deed, because we cannot perfectly obey God’s law at all times. But somewhere in his thinking, the lawyer believed that this was possible and he probably believed he had accomplished such deeds.

This leads to the lawyer’s third problem, self-justification according to verse 29. You see, the lawyer had answered correctly as Jesus stated in verse 27. And his question, ‘Who is my neighbor?’ is his attempt to show that he had met the law’s perfect demands by caring for his fellow Jews. For the lawyer, the law committed him to care for God’s people, but it required nothing more. In other words, there were two classifications of people in this man’s eyes, the Jews who were his neighbors, and the non-Jews, who were not his neighbors. And to justify himself, he asks this question to ‘cover his bases,’ perhaps because he was not so neighborly to others. Biblical scholar Darrell Bock comments, “Jesus’ answer to the lawyer’s real question is, ‘Do not worry about spotting Jesus’ people first, just be a neighbor to all, as this Samaritan was.’” And so Jesus tells the story of the Good Samaritan as a response to the lawyer, to both explain who are our neighbors, but even more importantly, to explain what we must ‘do’ to inherit eternal life.

The Solution of God’s Law and Our Response Illustrated by the Good Samaritan (v. 26-36)

So the problem this lawyer had was threefold, 1) UNBELIEF: he didn’t believe Jesus was the Messiah, 2) APPLICATION: he believed he had fulfilled the requirements of the law by merely knowing the law correctly, and 3) SELF-JUSTIFICATION: he believed he had obeyed the law by caring for his neighbors, fellow Jews. And in one fell swoop, Jesus essentially addresses all three components of his problem with a parable, the famous parable of the good Samaritan.

Many of you know the story. There was a man who was taking a trip from Jerusalem to Jericho which was about 17 miles. The journey was a treacherous one because there was a pass where it rose to as high as 2600 feet above sea level and then dropped to 825 feet below sea level. It was uninhabited with gullies and cliffs on both sides. The Bible refers to this pass as the Pass of Blood (Joshua 18:17) because of the inherent dangers of robbers who could easily lie in wait in the crevices of the cliffs for unsuspecting travelers. So to Jesus’ listeners, they would have been very familiar with how dangerous this place would have been and it certainly would have been no surprise that this man was robbed and beaten and left for dead.

In verse 31 Luke notes ‘by chance a priest was going down that road.’ The phrase is one of delightful surprise, as if something good was about to happen. And on this lonely, barren, abandoned road where few travelled, it would have been a stroke of ‘good luck’ that this priest was there. And of all people to come, one of God’s anointed priests. Surely, if anyone would stop to help, it would be God’s servant. And yet, one look at the man, and he steered far away from him, passing on the other side. A second servant of God, a Levite who was responsible for Temple service, not on the same level of a priest, but still a commissioned servant of the Lord, also saw the man. And he too “passed by on the other side.”

So here were two men who would know the Law as well as the lawyer who was confronting Jesus. They were dedicated servants of the Lord. They were leaders of God’s people, committed to keeping God’s commandments. They would have been well-known in the synagogue. And yet, when they saw the man lying there, probably unsure whether he was dead or alive, they refused to extend any aid at all. In fact, they didn’t even check to see whether he was alive. Perhaps they believed they would be subject to the same thievery, if the robbers were close by. Perhaps they were concerned whether their aid to the man, should he have died, could have affected their ability to worship in the temple since they could be disqualified by their uncleanness in touching a dead body (Lev 21:1-3). Or perhaps, as many of us might have felt, they were simply too busy and didn’t have time to offer any aid because it would have been inconvenient to do so. We don’t know what the reason was, but all of these reasons simply did not qualify as legitimate reasons to ignore the man. By simply passing by, these men had failed to obey the very commandment the lawyer stated in verse 27.

Do you see the implications of what Jesus is saying to the lawyer and to us in this parable? We cannot merely say we believe we are saved, that we know the commandments, and that we obey God without actually doing what He says. Moreover, we cannot pass by those who are in need simply because it is inconvenient, or because there is some risk involved, or because there is a cost. To do so means that we are no better than the priest or Levite. There will be many times in our lives when people need our help, when there are the poor, the defenseless, the desperate. I don’t think this parable means we need to answer every cry for help. It would be impossible to do so. But there will be times when you know in your heart the Lord is pressing on you to heed the call of a person who is in genuine need. You will be tempted to give many reasons why you cannot help at all. You’re too busy. It’s too dangerous or risky. You’re too tired. You’ve already ‘done your duty.’ You have your family to care for and surely God couldn’t be asking for more. During such times, we need to really ask ourselves, am I no better than the priest or Levite.

This week I had the opportunity to go to Creekside, where we formerly met. I met with John Bruce and with Kathy Greer, the Outreach Coordinator at Creek side. And she had shared with me a number of ways we can reach out to those in need in our very area. In Dublin there is a Dublin Women’s Federal Prison where we can volunteer to visit and minister to some of the women there. There is the Alameda Food Pantry near the Oakland Airport. There is the Valley Crisis Pregnancy Center. This year, we’ll be sending another team to Mozambique. I know many of you are busy. But I implore you that you would not merely pass by the desperate. To do so is not only unneighborly, as Jesus is telling us in this parable, it is dangerous for our souls.

But as you all know, the story doesn’t end there. There is a third passerby, a Samaritan man. I am sure when Jesus told this part of the story, the crowd around him must have winced with indignation. Samaritans were no better than pigs to Jews, people to be avoided at all costs. Remember also, that it was only recently that the Samaritans had rejected Jesus in Luke 9:52, so I’m sure at least the disciples would have remembered this and would have never considered any Samaritan capable of a worthy deed. But here is a Samaritan loving his neighbor by having compassion on the man (v. 33). Let’s look at what his love looked like more specifically. In verse 33, he ‘came to where he was.’ Notice the contrast between this first action and the actions of the priest and Levite. When they saw the man, they went to the ‘other side.’ But this Samaritan did not consider his own welfare. He moved toward the man. He also ‘saw him.’ He didn’t turn away, pretending he wasn’t there. He noticed the man in need. How important of a step this is in loving a neighbor. It means that we actually care enough to look, to ponder. A loving neighbor notices pain and hardship and cannot turn aside. He then has ‘compassion.’ His heart is swayed and moved. He is empathetic. He imagines what it would be like to be in his shoes. The word ‘compassion’ has nuances of pity, mercy, tenderness. He views the man and he can’t help but react, which leads to his actions.

To love one’s neighbor is not mere emotion and pity. It has to lead to action. And for the Samaritan he not only stops, he does all that he can to care for this stranger. And so verses 34-35 lists all of his actions: 1) he ‘went to him,’ 2) ‘bound up his wounds,’3) poured oil and wine on him, 4) ‘set him on his own animal,’ 5) ‘brought him to an inn,’ 6) ‘took care of him,’ 7) paid for his care. Notice that every one of his actions cost him something. When he went to the man, he risked his own security because it could easily have been a trap. He poured oil and wine on him which was from his own supply which obviously cost money. By setting the man on his mule, he had to walk the distance, which could have been miles. He brought him to an inn which would have cost him an initial outlay of money. By taking care of the man, the Samaritan probably had to spend even more time to make sure he was better. And then to pay the man not only for his care, but any further care, would have been even more money. Being a loving neighbor is not an easy task, and yes, it takes sacrifice of time, energy, and resources. In essence, a loving neighbor loves the neighbor as he loves himself.

It’s at this point, Jesus asks this critical question to the lawyer in verse 36: “Which of these three, do you think, proved to be a neighbor to the man who fell among the robbers?” The answer of course, is obvious and the lawyer rightly responds, “The one who showed him mercy.” Oh how that must have been so difficult for the man to say, the obvious. Notice he doesn’t say, “The Samaritan.” It was too difficult to imagine a Samaritan caring in such a way. The reality is, this man asked an initial question, “What must I do to inherit eternal life?” The man wanted an action plan for salvation. He was used to doing good things, moral things that he believed he could control. The man even knew exactly what the answer was to Jesus’ commandment question, “Love God, love your neighbor as yourself.” And surely he must have thought, “I know I love God in such a way, and I know I love my neighbors in this way as well.” But Jesus presses the man’s view of neighbor, to the point where he realizes that he doesn’t love his neighbor as himself, especially if you change the definition of neighbor.

What if Jesus were asking you to love all of your neighbors, anyone in need, perfectly? Have you ever been asked by a homeless man for help where you have merely turned away? Have you sat here listening to the stories about orphans and widows in Africa and the fact they are literally starving to death and though you could easily give $50/month to feed 5 orphan children, you decided that you could spend the money better elsewhere, on yourself? Have you said that you want to serve the church or the poor or the imprisoned or the defenseless in some way but after thinking about it, have responded, “I’m just too busy”? The reality is, all of us have played the priest and Levite at some time. We have not loved our neighbor as ourselves. We have failed to do so and even with our best intentions, we will continue to do so. The problem with the lawyer was not merely that he failed to love his neighbor as himself, the problem with the lawyer was that he DESIRED to JUSTIFY HIMSELF. He shook off his guilty feeling by recounting all of the good things in his heart that he did. He was a servant of the Lord. He worked hard in the synagogue. He memorized Scripture. He probably tithed and maybe once in a while cared for the poor. He was perhaps a good father and husband. All of these allowed him to justify himself. He didn’t believe his failures to love his neighbor actually kept him separated from God. And so this is why he desperately needed, not to try to fulfill the law, but why he needed a Savior after all. Remember the lawyer’s threefold problem: 1) he didn’t believe Jesus was the Messiah, 2) he believed he had fulfilled the requirements of the law by merely knowing the law correctly, and 3) he believed he had obeyed the law by caring for his neighbors, fellow Jews. He needed to realize that no matter how hard he tried, he would always fall short of obeying the law. He needed Jesus as the only one who could perfectly fulfill the law as Jesus says in Matthew 5:17: “Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them.” This parable is not only a story about loving your neighbor, but even more, it’s a story about God loving us so much that His Son was sent to do what we could never do, and what this lawyer could never do, show perfect compassion to all. In one act, Peter tells us, “For Christ also suffered ONCE for sins, the righteous for the unrighteous, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh but made alive in the spirit.” (1 Peter 3:18) Commentator David Gooding beautifully describes what Jesus has done in view of this parable this way:

We were not his neighbors nor he ours. But he chose by incarnation to come where we were; and in spite of the fact that human beings hounded him to a cross, he rescued us at his own expense, and has paid in advance the cost of completing our redemption and of perfecting us for unimaginable glory. (Quoted from Phil Ryken, Luke Vol 1, 550)

In light of this reality, “You go, and do likewise.” We’ll never be able to care for everyone, and we need not feel as though we have to. Jesus has done that work. But out of this great love for us, we must go and bind up wounds, take risks, care for the poor, and defenseless. We’ll be giving opportunities to serve neighbors in 2010 and beyond. May you do so because you yourself were shown such love by your Savior Jesus Christ.